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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. object — to protest
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. object — a thing
  5. board — a committee
  6. bank — for money
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pass — a permit
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. pop — soda
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. board — to get on
  14. march — the month
  15. object — an aim
  16. pop — music
  17. pop — to visit
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. march — the month
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. bank — for money
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. march — music
  24. bank — of a river

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com